电子商务的优点(英文版)

Internal Training Documents of Hatian Aluminum CO., LTD—Advantages of Electronic Commerce—(INTERNAL ONLY)Advantages of electronic commerce by Yiqun WANG Email: cspau@Firms are interested in electronic commerce because, quite simply, it can help increase profits. All the advantages of electronic commerce for businesses can be summarized in one statement: electronic commerce can increase sales and decrease costs. Advertising done well on the Web can get even a small firm’s promotional message out to potential customers in every country in the world. A firm can use electronic commerce to reach small groups of customers that are geographically scattered. The web is particularly useful in creating virtual communicates that become ideal target markets for specific types of products or services. A virtual community is a gathering of people who share a common interest, but instead of this gathering occurring in the physical world, it takes place on the Internet. In recent years, virtual communities have taken advantage of Web 2.0 technologies to make their activities more accessible and interesting to community members.Just as electronic commerce increases sales opportunities for the seller, it increases purchasing opportunities for the buyer. Businesses can use electronic commerce to identify new supplier and business partners. Negotiating price and delivery terms is easier in electronic commerce because the Internet can help companies efficiently obtain competitive bid information. Electronic commerce increases the speed and accuracy with which business can exchange information, whichreduces costs on the both sides of transactions. Many companies are reducing their cost of handling sales inquiries, providing price quotes, and determining product availability by using electronic commerce in their sales support and order-taking processes.Cisco System, a leading manufacturer of computer networking equipment, currently sells almost all its products online. Because no customer service representatives are involved in making these sales, Cisco operates very efficiently. In 1998, the first year in which its online sales initiative was operational, Cisco made 72 percent of its sales on the Web. Cisco avoided handling 500,000 calls per month and saved $500 million in that first year. Today, Cisco conducts more than 99 percent of its purchase and sales transactions online.Electronic commerce provides buyers with a wider ranger of choices than traditional commerce because buyers can consider many different products and services from a wider variety of sellers. This wide variety is available for consumers to evaluate 24 hours a bay, every day. Some buyers prefer a great deal of information in deciding on a purchase; others prefer less. Electronic commerce provide buyers with an easy way to customize the level of detail in the information they obtain about a prospective purchase. Instead of waiting days for the email to bring a catalog or product specification sheet, or even minutes for a fax transmission, buyers can have instant access to detailed information onthe Web.Most digital products, such as software, music and video files, or images, can be delivered through the Internet, which reduces the time buyer must wait to begin enjoying their purchases. The ability to deliver digital products online is not just a cost-reduction opportunity; it can increase sales, too. Intuit sales its Turbo Tax income tax preparation software online and lets customers download the software immediately if they wish. Intuit sells a considerable amount of Turbo Tax software late in the evening on April 14 each year. (April 15 is the deadline for filing personal income tax returns in the United States.)The benefits of electronic commerce extend to the general welfare of society. Electronic payments of tax refunds, public retirement, and welfare support cost less to issue and arrive securely and quickly when transmitted over the Internet. Furthermore, electronic payments can be easier to audit and monitor than payments made by check, providing protection against fraud and theft losses. To the extent that electronic commerce enables people to telecommute, everyone benefits from the reduction in commuter-caused traffic and pollution. Electronic commerce can also make products and services available in remote areas. For example, distance learning makes it possible for people to learn skills and earn degrees no matter where they live or which hours they have available for study.。